Message From Our Principal

We have enjoying a lovely couple of spring weeks at our amazing school! Spring is a beautiful time of year, and it's even more special when you can appreciate it at a school that you love. The blossoming of nature and the positive atmosphere of the season can make the school experience even more enjoyable for both students and staff. I hope the rest of the school year continues to be just as wonderful!

In 2023 St Patrick's participated in ICAS for the first time! ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is a valuable platform for students to test their knowledge and skills in various subjects. It provides an excellent opportunity for students to challenge themselves and showcase their abilities on an international level. It's great to see our Grade 3-6 students encouraged by their families to participate in such competitions. I believe the experience was enriching for the students and that they gained valuable insights from it. Congratulations to the students who participated!

Children’s Week is happening across Australia from 21 to 29 October 2023. It’s an opportunity to recognise that all children have the right to relax, play, and participate in activities they enjoy.

Celebrate Children’s Week by saying YES to safe online play. When you join in children’s online play, it supports family wellbeing and results in better outcomes for children now and in the future. 

To access resources to help bring play to online safety conversations please click the  link.

A big thank you to Miss Bennett for representing our school at the Children’s Week Celebration- ‘Let’s play in Campaspe’ at the Kyabram Fauna Park today. She went above and beyond to ensure that we were represented in the best possible way.

We are currently seeking nominations for our School Advisory Council [SAC] 2024. Becoming a member of the SAC is an excellent way for parents to become involved in the life of the school. There is further information regarding the SAC on the website and Keiran Brennan, [Chair], members of the SAC or myself are available for further information. Nominations to be received by November 24th 2022. The next SAC meeting will be the final one for the year and new members will be invited along.

Grade 6 Graduation this year will look a little different than it has in the past. On Monday the 11th of December, at 6pm, Grade 6 students and their families will be invited to a Graduation Dinner. The location of dinner will be confirmed at a later date. During this dinner the graduating students will present their individual slideshows. 

On Thursday 14th of December, at 1pm, we will have our Grade 6 Award Presentation followed by our End Of Year Mass (at 2pm) which which will  conclude with the Grade 6 guard of honour, as they leave their last St Pat’s formal celebration. 

Grade 6 families will receive a formal invitation to this event, outlining the finer details of these events.

We are honoured to be part of Blake’s 21 Acts of Random Kindness!!

From Alison:

Hello all!

Those of you familiar with my fb will know that October is Down Syndrome awareness month and this year Team Blake are back in action with another 21 Your Way challenge.

For those of you who are new each year we fundraise for DS vic by either participating in an actual physical walk event or since covid we have completed online challenges.

Previously in 2020 we did 21 dedications from family and friends that were turned into a book and visited 21 playgrounds during 2021. We attempted to complete another 21 playgrounds last year however the local floods put an end to the challenge midway.

This year we will complete 21 acts of kindness. Blake’s amazing school (St Patrick’s Tongala) are going to allow us to randomly select names from a hat and bless 20 students to give a block of chocolate to and 1 teacher to give a bunch of flowers to!

All funds raised go to Down Syndrome victoria who are a nonprofit organisation and it enables their staff to support people with Down syndrome through advocating for positive change and engaging with the community, implementing innovative programs focused on creating an inclusive future for all.

Stay tuned as we will update with photos and tallies along the way!

#mycause

Here is the fundraising link:   https://www.mycause.com.au/p/323442/team-blake

These are our latest winners:

Sun Protection 

Our students have been doing a super job wearing their school hats when they are outside. At St Patrick’s students are expected to wear a hat during all outdoor activities during Term 4 and Term 1 in accordance with the school's Sun Protection Policy. Children will remain under the verandah if they are not wearing their hat during break times.

Don’t forget next Monday the 6th of November is a Curriculum Day and Tuesday the 7th of November is a Public Holiday.